Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today) Lyrics
One, two
One, two, three, four, ow!
[Verse 1: Eddie, Dennis]
People movin' out, people movin' in
Why? Because of the color of their skin
Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
Vote for me and I'll set you free
Rap on, brother, rap on
Well, the only person talkin' 'bout "Love thy brother"
Is the preacher
And it seems nobody's interested in learnin'
But the teacher
[Pre-Chorus: Dennis]
Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation
[Chorus]
Ball of confusion
Oh, yeah
That's what the world is today
Woo, hey, hey
[Verse 2: Paul, Dennis, Melvin]
The sale of pills are at an all-time high
Young folks walkin' 'round with their heads in the sky
Cities aflame in the summertime
And oh, the beat goes on
Evolution, revolution, gun control, the sound of soul
Shooting rockets to the moon, kids growin' up too soon
Politicians say more taxes will solve everything
And the band played on
So 'round and around and around we go
Where the world's headed, said, nobody knows
[Chorus]
Oh, Great Googa Mooga
Can't you hear me talking to you?
Just a ball of confusion
Oh yeah, that's what the world is today
Woo, hey, hey
[Verse 3]
Fear in the air, tension everywhere
Unemployment rising fast
The Beatles' new record's a gas
And the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation
And the band played on
Eve of destruction, tax deduction
City inspectors, bill collectors
Mod clothes in demand, population out of hand
Suicide, too many bills
Hippies moving to the hills
People all over the world are shouting, "End the war"
And the band played on
[Chorus]
Great Googa Mooga
Can't you hear me talking to you?
It's a ball of confusion
That's what the world is today, hey, hey
Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya
Sayin', ball of confusion
That's what the world is today, hey, hey (Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya)
Sayin', ball of confusion
That's what the world is today
About
“Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)” was recorded by The Temptations in April of 1970 and released as a single the following month. The song, which reached #2 on the US R&B charts and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and produced by Whitfield, who had been responsible for nearly all of the Temptations' singles since 1966’s “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and would produce for the group well into the 1970s. Though the track never appeared on a Temptations studio album, it was included on the group’s Greatest Hits II LP released in 1970.
“Ball of Confusion” is an example of the “psychedelic soul” style, inspired by the success of Sly and the Family Stone, that marked most of the Temptations' singles following the 1968 firing of singer David Ruffin and his subsequent replacement by Dennis Edwards. It can also be considered a kind of proto-rap song, as many of the lines are spoken or intoned, rather than sung. “Ball of Confusion” is also noteworthy for its overtly political themes, something that Motown songwriters were generally encouraged to shy away from throughout the company’s 1960s heyday. The song has been covered by a number of other artists, including Tina Turner in 1982 and English alternative rock band Love and Rockets in 1985.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 1.Come On (Missing Lyrics)
- 8.Paradise
- 14.Farewell My Love
- 21.My Girl
- 23.It’s Growing
- 27.My Baby
- 28.Don’t Look Back
- 29.Get Ready
- 30.Fading Away
- 37.All I Need
- 39.I’m Doing It All
- 43.Angel Doll
- 47.Ol’ Man River
- 52.How Can I Forget
- 55.Cloud Nine
- 63.War
- 66.Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)
- 70.It’s Summer
- 73.Mother Nature
- 75.Masterpiece
- 76.Plastic Man
- 80.Heavenly
- 82.Happy People
- 83.Shakey Ground
- 84.Glasshouse
- 85.A Song For You
- 86.Memories
- 87.Keep Holding On
- 89.Who Are You (Missing Lyrics)
- 90.In a Lifetime
- 91.Power
- 95.Sail Away
- 99.Magic (Missing Lyrics)
- 100.Lady Soul
- 102.Look What You Started (Missing Lyrics)
- 103.Soul to Soul
- 104.Special
- 105.My Kind of Woman (Missing Lyrics)
- 106.Hoops of Fire
- 107.Error of Our Ways
- 108.Givin’ U The Best (Missing Lyrics)
- 109.Elevator Eyes
- 110.Blueprint For Love (Missing Lyrics)